Mirrors

DJ Seinfeld first emerged in 2016 at the forefront of a wave of lo-fi house that seemed ironic on the surface but ended up producing some highly expressive music. After channeling the whirlwind emotions following a breakup into the unexpectedly moving 2017 LP Time Spent Away from U, Seinfeld widened his scope for his subsequent releases, producing output such as the Aphex-approved electro of Sakura and the throwback Italo-house of Lilium. Mirrors, his second full-length (and first for Ninja Tune), aims to recapture the emotional impact of his first album, while demonstrating his growth as a producer. The heart-tugging vocal samples and wide-eyed melodies are still present, but the gritty tape hiss and warehouse rave throb are replaced by much more intricate beat sequences and detailed production. Opener She Loves Me features skipping beats that sometimes subtly pan to the corners of the speakers, cloudy IDM melodies, and unresolved vocals (She loves me, why does she?). Walking with Ur Smile has striding U.K. garage beats, bittersweet R&B vocal samples, and an almost new age sense of airiness, riddled with occasional static hiccups and glitches. U Already Know is more of a throwback to midtempo synth-boogie, with a well-timed breakbeat sequence at its center. These Things Will Come to Be lays fully into heartache mode, pausing the beat for an entire minute to play an extended voice mail message from a woman who yearns to hear her lovers voice, and wants to go back to the old days. Someday feels like a slightly dreamier version of labelmate Biceps revisions of late-90s breakbeat-driven progressive house. Seinfeld has mentioned that the albums title refers to how hes been able to reflect on who he is through experiences such as relationships and family trauma, and his music skillfully expresses a mixture of loneliness, uncertainty, and wistful nostalgia. ~ Paul Simpson

2017年の初作リリース以降は〈DJ-Kicks〉に登板して評判を呼び、2018年の"Sakura"はエイフェックス・ツインにプレイされるなど、デビュー当初のローファイなイメージから幅を広げてきたDJセインフェルドがニンジャ・チューン移籍後初のアルバムを完成。本人も影響を公言するブリアルを感じさせるUKガラージも、アングラ志向になりすぎないポップさとのバランスが絶妙で、双方から愛される魅力に溢れている。
bounce (C)長谷川義和